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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2026 , Vol. 46 >Issue 1: 205 - 210

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.01.019

Original Articles

Combined acupuncture and herb treatment improves intestinal flora inabdominally obese subjects based on 16s rRNA sequencing: a randomized controlled trial

  • Menghua YUAN ,
  • Jianbin SHAO ,
  • Yawei YANG ,
  • Yan ZHAO ,
  • Xingang HU
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  • 1 Department of Encephalopathy, Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
    2 Hebei University of Chinese Medicine Graduate School, Hebei 050090, China
    3 School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102400, China
    4 Encephalopathy Department, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100071, China

Received date: 2024-03-23

  Accepted date: 2024-09-24

  Online published: 2026-01-28

Supported by

National Key R&D Program of China: Clinical Evaluation Research on Intervention Technologies for Abdominal Obesity; the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Effects of Combined Acupuncture and Medication on Abdominal Obesity: an Exploration with 16S rRNA Technology(2019YFC1710102)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate Acupuncture-herb therapy modulates gut microbiota in abdominal obesity.

METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was designed in accordance with standard protocols. Abdominally obese subjects were randomized into four groups: A2 (Control): double placebo, A1 (Needle): press needle + placebo herb, A3 (herb): herbal medicine (Huatan Lishi Fang化痰利湿方) + placebo needle, A4 (Combination): press needle + herbal medicine. After 12 weeks of treatment, groups were relabeled B1-B4. Weight, waist circumference, and body mass index were measured monthly. Gut microbiota was analyzed via 16S rRNA sequencing for diversity and abundance.

RESULTS: Combined needle-herb therapy significantly reduced waist circumference (P < 0.05). All treatments altered gut microbiota composition. The combination group showed significant changes in diversity (Chao1, Shannon, Simpson; P < 0.05). Needle therapy increased Bacteroidia; herbs reduced Lachnospiraceae and Megamonas. All results were significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Combined needle-herb treatment modulated 25 key gut flora across multiple taxonomic levels in abdominal obesity. It reduced Firmicutes and Bacteroidota. Bacteroidota, Actinobacteriota, and Prevo-tellaceae may suppress obesity, whereas Proteobacteria, Lachnospiraceae, and Megamonas may promote it. The combination specifically altered Bacteroidaceae, Lachno-spiraceae, Bacteroidia, and Megamonas.

Key words： gastrointestinal microbiome; obesity, abdominal; sequence analysis, RNA; acupuncture; herbal medicine; intervention mechanism; randomized controlled trial

Cite this article

Menghua YUAN , Jianbin SHAO , Yawei YANG , Yan ZHAO , Xingang HU . Combined acupuncture and herb treatment improves intestinal flora inabdominally obese subjects based on 16s rRNA sequencing: a randomized controlled trial[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2026 , 46(1) : 205 -210 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.01.019

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